Macy’s apparel store, the original anchor for the 1961 Mission Valley Center mall, is closing starting next week, the struggling department store chain announced Wednesday.

It is one of 65 stores that will close this year nationally following three that closed last year. About 3,900 employees are affected with 140 at the Mission Valley location.

A clearance sale is set to begin Monday and run for eight to 12 weeks.

The company announced 100 closings last year in an effort to “right size our physical footprint,” said Terry J. Lundgren, chairman and CEO in a statement.

“We are closing locations that are unproductive or are no longer robust shopping destinations due to changes in the local retail shopping landscape, as well as monetizing locations with highly valued real estate,” he said. “These are never easy decisions, and we are committed to treating associates affected by these closings with respect and transparency.”

The 385,000-square-foot, three-level building opened as a May Co. department store in one of San Diego’s first regional malls in a landmark decision by the City Council to rezone the valley for commercial use.

Designed by local architect William Lewis Jr., it was classified as historic in January last year by the city’s Historical Resources Board. Westfield bought the building from Macy’s for $16.5 million in March and the lease was set to expire this month.

A second Macy’s in the center, originally a Bullock’s department store now devoted to home goods and furnishings, will remain in business, at least for now.

It’s unclear if any of the merchandise at the affected building will be moved into the second building.

A third Macy’s remains open at nearby Fashion Valley shopping center as do seven others throughout the county.

In a statement, Westfield said it has no immediate plans for the closed Macy’s building but is considering a “range of new prospects and opportunities for the building” that would revitalize the space and offer new choices to customers.

Besides the San Diego store, the Laurel Plaza store in North Hollywood closed last year and coming closings in California will include those at Paseo Nuevo in Santa Barbara and Simi Valley Town Center in Simi Valley.

Macy’s also has sold but will continue to operate two locations in San Francisco at Stonestown Galleria and the Union Square men’s store. The chain currently operates 730 stores.

An additional 30 stores are expected to be closed over the next few years, the announcement said. Those locations and timing are subject to lease agreements, operating covenants with mall owners and property sales.

The closings are estimated to save the company about $550 million, with about half set aside for reinvestment in Macy’s digital business, store-related growth and other initiatives.

City of San Diego

Midcentury modern flourishes were included in the 1961 building, originally opened as a May Co. store.

Midcentury modern flourishes were included in the 1961 building, originally opened as a May Co. store. (City of San Diego)

Even as it is closing stores, Macy’s is opening new ones at Westfield Century City in Los Angeles, replacing a smaller store that closed there a year ago, and Fashion Place in Murray, Utah.

Macy’s Bloomingdale chain will open at Westfield Valley Fair shopping center in San Jose and the SoNo Collection in Norwalk, Conn. Also planned are 50 Macy’s Backstage off-price locations inside existing Macy’s and about 50 Bluemercury beauty specialty stores, both freestanding and inside Macy’s stores.

The news came on the same day that Macy’s shares tumbled 6 percent after the company posted disappointing holiday sales and financial markets had closed. Comparable-store sales fell 2.1 percent in November and December.

Lundgren said Macy’s will increase its focus on online shopping, pickup-in-store options and mobile-enabled shopping.

“We remain focused on the actions that will ultimately improve our financial results and provide the greatest return for our shareholders,” he said.

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